It's why the London Knights lead the Kitchener Rangers 2-1 in their OHL Western Conference semifinal after riding a four-goal third period to a 6-3 victory before 8,753 Monday night at the John Labatt Centre.

It's sure-handed Colin Martin, a power-play point man, setting up snakebit Chris DeSousa with a pretty pass that banked in off his skate to give the Knights the opening goal for the seventh time in eight playoff games.

"After that, they (the Rangers) tried to take that play away," said DeSousa, who had suffered through clanging posts and near-misses in these playoffs before setting up a shot at the crease's edge, "but we kept trying for it and, luckily, it worked again."

That came in the pivotal third. The second Martin-DeSousa backdoor hookup stood up as the winning goal.

"We've been working on plays like that all week to the three guys down low," Martin said, "so we kept after it, kept trying it all game. You don't want to give up on it."

And it wasn't just them.

It was quiet 25-goal man Michael MacDonald, who didn't score in his first seven playoff games. But with the Knights facing the grim possibility of trailing a series for the first time this spring, he tallied twice too and transformed back into Mighty Mac, the Thunder Bay kid with lightning in his stick.

"I didn't get down," MacDonald said. "(After being shutout by Guelph), I looked at it as a new series and another chance. Once I got one, I figured it would be a good time to get another one."

His first one tied the game. His second put the Knights ahead.

Nazem Kadri, the OHL's playoff scoring leader, had early equipment malfunctions. He lost an edge on his skate, took a couple of tumbles and headed for the dressing room for repairs after a long power-play effort.

"I lost an edge there but I tried the power play. I'm pretty stationary out there . . . and on the play (he busted his stick), I had a pretty good scoring chance."

He ended up with the best chance -- a penalty shot -- and buried it before prepping a return trip to his House of Boos Wednesday in Kitchener.

Kitchener's Game 2 hat trick hero Gabriel Landeskog was accused of throwing his stick at Kadri on the play.

"It slipped out of my hand," the Swede said. "I just couldn't hold onto it. I wasn't trying to do that."

Rangers goalie Brandon Maxwell has surrendered 14 goals in his last two starts in London. He went for a poke check and Kadri went around him.

"I had my head up the whole time," Kadri said, "so I saw the poke check coming pretty early. I had no clue I was getting a penalty shot. I saw the stick come out of his hand but Steve Tarasuk came over a little after and told me I was getting it."

The Knights feel like they're finally getting it. They have to succeed down low while the Rangers want to fly in transition.

"I think we're the better team," Martin said, "and if we play for 60 minutes the way we're supposed to, we're going to win."

The Rangers' JLC losing streak is at nine games. It started with the Steve Mason nine-goal mashing in 2008 and they haven't won since Kadri wore Kitchener blue.

"Twice, we came back to tie them here," Kitchener head coach Steve Spott said, "and we got soft mentally in the third. The number I care about is seven penalties (three in the third). They were bad penalties. They were all deserved and you can't take those against a team with a power play like London."

And the Landeskog stick throw call? "I asked Craig (Spada) about it - he's an NHL ref and he said it was a good call and I trust him."

Now the Rangers coach has to find a way to start trusting his veterans again. Jeff Skinner and Jeremy Morin are scoring but few others are stepping up.

"I thought (17-year-old defenceman) Ryan Murphy was the best player on the ice for both teams," Spott said, "and that bodes well for the future of the Kitchener Rangers. But I'm talking about our 19-and 20-year-olds. We need more."